Robert the Doll

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Robert, sometimes known as Robert the Doll, is a doll that was once owned by Key West painter Robert Eugene Otto. The doll, which is reportedly haunted, has become a fixture of ghost tours in the Key West area since it was inducted into the Martello Gallery-Key West Art and Historical Museum.

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[edit] Origins

Somewhere near the beginning of the 20th Century, the wealthy Dr. Otto lived in Key West, taking several slaves from the Bahamas. One of these created a doll out of wire frame, cloth, and straw, giving it to Otto's son Robert.

The young Robert became very attached to the doll, giving it his own first name and demanding to be called Eugene from that day forward. During numerous occasions in the would-be artist's childhood, "Gene" Otto would blame the doll for some mishap, some of which, according to legend, occurred at times when the boy himself could have been nowhere nearby.

[edit] Gene Otto

After leaving to study art in Paris, Otto met his future wife Anne Otto. Once married, the couple returned to his childhood home in Key West. Here, Anne learned about Robert, who Gene constantly doted on with, among other things, a room built by craftsmen that was scaled to the doll's size.

As the painter's reputation began to grow, so did rumors about the doll. According to interviews with children in the area, the doll would move about in his room, which Otto himself never allowed anyone to enter, even when there was nobody home.

As time went by, Gene became increasingly abusive towards his wife, flying into inexplicable rages only to return to a calm demeanor, eerily observing that it had been Robert's fault just as he had when he was a boy.

Eventually, the artist's erratic behavior became so serious that he locked himself in a room with the doll. It was here that he passed away. His remains are interred at the Key West Cemetery.

[edit] Aftermath

After the artist's death, Anne moved out of the house and allowed it to be rented under the strict clause that Robert be left alone in his room in the attic. This remained true up until her death in 1976.

However, reports concerning the doll continued to surface. A notable account by a plumber doing work in the house reads,

“ I was doing some work in the larger part of the attic of the house. The people there wanted to make it an additional room so I was running the lines for a new toilet. The doll looked pretty creepy sitting there on the little chair holding its stuffed animal, but I had work to do so I didn't think much about it at first. As my work continued I had to make a few trips to get some parts from the van. Each time I returned I could swear the doll had moved a little bit. Like I said, I had work to do so I ignored it as much as I could, but when I was just about finished with the job and started decending the stairs, I heard a little kid giggling behind me. When I turned around the doll was on the opposite side of the room. The first thing I did was look to see where the kid was, but no one was there. I wasn't really frightened, but it was weird so I just continued down stairs and left. Some of my tools are probably still up there. ”

[edit] Obscurity and Resurgence

Over time, the rumors of the doll became an urban legend, and his actual whereabouts remained a mystery until it was discovered in storage at East Martello Tower and, due to popular demand, put on display.

[edit] Present Day

Robert remains a popular display in the museum to this day. He is annually rotated to the Old Post Office and Customshouse in October, with museum staff claiming that strange activity in the museum increases during such times.

History will happen for the first time ever when Robert makes an appearance at Taps CON [1], a paranormal convention held in Clearwater, Florida in July 2008. This will be the first time the 105 year old Robert the Doll will be leaving his home town of Key West, Florida. Strange happenings are anticipated with the moving of the doll.

Tourists attempting to take pictures of Robert have noted that their camera batteries were inexplicably much lower afterward. It has been speculated that Robert, in fact, drains the cameras to sustain his own life; according to investigating psychics, Robert's soul is slowly dying.

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